Introduction
Background
The Swiss Confederation was founded in 1291 as a defensive alliance among three cantons. In succeeding years, other localities joined the original three. The Swiss Confederation secured its independence from the Holy Roman Empire in 1499. The major European powers have long honored Switzerland's sovereignty and neutrality, and the country was not involved in either World War.
Geography
Area
total : 41,277 sq km
land: 39,997 sq km
water: 1,280 sq km
Climate
temperate, but varies with altitude; cold, cloudy, rainy/snowy winters; cool to warm, cloudy, humid summers with occasional showers
Natural resources
hydropower potential, timber, salt
People and Society
Population
total: 8,860,574
Ethnic groups
Swiss 69.2%, German 4.2%, Italian 3.2%, Portuguese 2.5%, French 2.1%, Kosovan 1.1%, Turkish 1%, other 16.7% (2020 est.)
Languages
German (or Swiss German) (official) 62.1%, French (official) 22.8%, Italian (official) 8%, English 5.7%, Portuguese 3.5%, Albanian 3.3%, Serbo-Croatian 2.3%, Spanish 2.3%, Romansh (official) 0.5%, other 7.9% (2019 est.)
Religions
Roman Catholic 34.4%, Protestant 22.5%, other Christian 5.7%, Muslim 5.4%, other 1.5%, none 29.4%, unspecified 1.1% (2020 est.)
Population growth rate
0.75% (2024 est.)
Government
Government type
federal republic (formally a confederation)
Capital
name: Bern
Executive branch
chief of state: President of the Swiss Confederation Viola AMHERD (since 1 January 2024)
head of government: President of the Swiss Confederation Viola AMHERD (since 1 January 2024)
Legislative branch
summary: bicameral Federal Assembly consists of the Council of States (46 seats) and the National Council (200 seats)
Diplomatic representation in the US
chief of mission: Ambassador Ralph HECKNER (since 18 September 2024)
Diplomatic representation from the US
chief of mission: Ambassador Scott C. MILLER (since 11 January 2022) note - also accredited to Liechtenstein
Economy
Economic overview
high-income, non-EU European economy; top ten in GDP per capita; renowned banking and financial hub; low unemployment and inflation; slowed GDP growth post-pandemic; highly skilled but aging workforce; key pharmaceutical and precision manufacturing exporter; leader in innovation and competitiveness indices
Real GDP (purchasing power parity)
$733.779 billion (2023 est.)
$728.562 billion (2022 est.)
$710.319 billion (2021 est.)
Real GDP per capita
$82,900 (2023 est.)
$83,000 (2022 est.)
$81,600 (2021 est.)
Exports
$661.628 billion (2023 est.)
$627.788 billion (2022 est.)
$579.011 billion (2021 est.)
Exports - partners
US 15%, Germany 13%, China 11%, Italy 6%, France 5% (2022)
Exports - commodities
gold, vaccines, packaged medicine, nitrogen compounds, base metal watches (2022)
Imports
$554.358 billion (2023 est.)
$516.517 billion (2022 est.)
$481.27 billion (2021 est.)
Imports - partners
Germany 21%, US 10%, Italy 8%, France 6%, China 5% (2022)
Imports - commodities
gold, packaged medicine, vaccines, cars, garments (2022)
Page last updated: Tuesday, October 01, 2024
